Is it time too start the woodcock watch thread?

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Originally Posted by tom gobble

Fishing the credit during the migration of steelhead is aloud and in season on certain parts of the river. Plus they never spawned yet! so don't use that example. I used the example as if fishing season is closed and you tried fishing for example "steelhead" in a no fishing zone with no hook and called it practicing. Anyways as I said before this is not an attack im just trying to understand the tradition, and the effect it might cause. I love watching dogs work and respect the time it takes to get a dog to point and hunt. Its like guys running rabbits in summer, It must cause some stress on these animals.

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Never took it as an attack just trying too enlighten you. Got to use that example as the woodcock haven't nested yet. Setting aside the its legal argument one has to look at the action involved.
If you believe fishing for trout on their migration run causes no undo stress than it must hold true for searching for woodcock on their migration north. Can't have your cake and eat it too.
Have a read through this article might give you some insight on the effect dog work has on the birds.
http://www.gundogmag.com/destination...d_spring_0507/

Tom Gobble,
Most guys will only run their dogs on Woodcock until mid April.
In Michigan it’s called the “quiet period”, and it protects nesting wildlife from approx April 15 to July 15th.
https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/f...ldlife.179611/

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

Never took it as an attack just trying too enlighten you. Got to use that example as the woodcock haven't nested yet. Setting aside the its legal argument one has to look at the action involved.
If you believe fishing for trout on their migration run causes no undo stress than it must hold true for searching for woodcock on their migration north. Can't have your cake and eat it too.
Have a read through this article might give you some insight on the effect dog work has on the birds.
http://www.gundogmag.com/destination...d_spring_0507/

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Thanks, that was a good read. Seems they never abandoned the nest even when chicks have been handled, which is good thing. So a couple of flushes sure won't stress them out. Do they do any banding like that over here for woodcock.

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Originally Posted by Mount Sweetness

Tom Gobble,
Most guys will only run their dogs on Woodcock until mid April.
In Michigan it’s called the “quiet period”, and it protects nesting wildlife from approx April 15 to July 15th.
https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/f...ldlife.179611/

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That makes sense, just wondering if people practice that "quiet period" here or does nesting take place at different times in southern ontario

Someone would have to be an idiot to still be working there dog on birds once they have started nesting.

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Originally Posted by tom gobble

Thanks, that was a good read. Seems they never abandoned the nest even when chicks have been handled, which is good thing. So a couple of flushes sure won't stress them out. Do they do any banding like that over here for woodcock.

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My rule of thumb is one flush than move on. Its easy to be tempted to try and reflush the bird as they almost always land within sight.
Not aware of any banding done in Ontario at best they use a night count of singing males doing their mating dance. Its generally believe population is on a slide down but no real effort here to investigate. Sadly will have the same fate as our Bob whites.

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Originally Posted by tom gobble

That makes sense, just wondering if people practice that "quiet period" here or does nesting take place at different times in southern ontario

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Responsible stewardship is what it should be about. Never have run into a nest around my area but than again I pull out of the bush using the April 15 guideline.

Good walk this morning 5 points on pretty steady birds.
Managed a bit of footage of one of the encounters
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/876/2...00512359_b.jpgDSCN0033 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/153457252@N02/], on Flickr

Hoping I get out tomorrow morning. Haven't been out in over a week. Planned on it today but both kids are home sick as can be.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

I have 5 different spots now, but each are holding only one bird.
I try new spots daily, and rotate my birds once per week.

Flushed only 1 yesterday. Been branching out into some new areas, as some of my sweet spots are not yet bird-ready.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/789/2...f44431ea_n.jpg